FEATURE STORY
Leadership During Crisis BY LIZA TEIXEIRA ROBERTSON
We spoke to six alumni in May about their experiences with COVID-19. Read on to learn about how agricultural leaders are navigating these difficult times.
Roberta Firoved (30) Industry Affairs Manager California Rice Commission How has COVID-19 affected your organization? Fortunately, our leadership implemented a remote-work model approximately nine years ago. Our transition to 100 percent remote-work was seamless. The workflow has not been interrupted and the level of output actually increased. What are you doing to adapt your organization? The reason for the workflow increase resulted from reviews of COVID-19 requirements in counties where rice is grown and marketed in advance of the statewide order to shelterin-place. We provided letters employers could share with essential agricultural employees to produce if questioned by authorities. We provided routine updates to employers/members on reliable COVID-19 information, lists of approved disinfectants, sources for personal protective equipment and information through our weekly e-communications. We transitioned our weekly in-person meetings to video calls the week following the governor’s shelter-in-place order. The rice mills immediately began implementing distancing and disinfecting practices. For the first time in my career, the growers were seeking hand sanitizers and wipes for shops, tools and equipment—especially tractors and equipment shared by multiple employees.
12 HORIZONS MAGAZINE SUMMER 2020
How did you communicate with employees during the early stages of the outbreak? Our CEO has exceptional communication and crisis management skills. The initial communication was through conference calls (both within our industry and other agricultural groups) and emails to the leadership group within the rice industry. Staff divided into teams to participate in conference calls and research video meeting platforms.
drone on what seems like forever and where nothing is accomplished. The model of video conferencing with our internal workgroups will continue after the COVID-19 shelter-in-place order is lifted. A well organized video conference accomplishes in one hour what typically takes half a day after calculating travel, parking and meals, in addition to the meeting and the social talk before and afterward. The video conference model is a great example of working smarter and not harder.
How are you using what you learned from Ag Leadership to help you through the situation? Our industry leaders always look to the California Rice Commission staff for consistent leadership. We are quick to respond with accurate information relative to the industry members by addressing their collective needs. I automatically increase communication during challenging times at work. Resorting to an all-inclusive approach in my communication style has proven effective. The transition to video meetings has heightened the need for facilitative meetings. Our committee and board meetings are always organized with agendas and materials. We also provide agendas and meeting materials for internal workgroup meetings. However, the video conferencing platform creates a real need for organization. The video meetings are productive with a facilitator “directing traffic” or “refereeing” by identifying the agenda item, sharing documents on the screen and calling out to attendees for participation. We conclude by outlining the action items, setting the next meeting date and providing a meeting summary. Sounds simple, but I hear of stories about unorganized video conferences that
Jack Vessey (34) President Vessey & Company, Inc. How has COVID-19 affected your business? We were just finishing our winter vegetable harvest in the desert when the onset of measures were implemented to slow the spread of COVID-19, and it was devastating. We left hundreds of acres of leafy greens unharvested in the field. Fifty percent of our business was gone in an instant. What are you doing to adapt your business? Our core business will remain the same, growing leafy greens in the desert for winter harvest. Yet, I am unsure of at what level. Are we going to cut back 10 percent, 20 percent, or 50 percent? We are always evaluating new and different crop ideas and market channels, but future cash flow projections may keep us from dipping our feet in the water until we feel comfortable on our own recovery.
